A dazzling parade of rays slipped over the horizon. Nocturnal predators slept now, and the buzz of night fell silent to day's domain. The trees of the Amazon, as well as their brethren beneath, soaked in the Sun's gift. The myriad of vegetation glistened brightly in its hues of greens and browns, from the mighty tops to dense bottom vegetation. Animals of varying colors streaked to and fro as the various cycles of nature synced.
Roberto groggily watched the sunrise, noting each time he saw a different hue blur in the distance.
And among the rarest of colors is blue.
He ruffled his blue feathers, wearily gazing at the sight with dark blue eyes.
For its welcome warmth, the day's beginning event only served as a moment's distraction from the final minutes of the meeting. Roberto swerved his head back from the high hollow entrance to the mossy table and its members, eight total, including himself. The carved log had stood firm and circular, the surface flat as if a stump. It had rested there ever since Eduardo designated this location the new Spix macaw heartland. It'd been carved with intricacy by every original council member together.
Outside, the tribe began to awaken. It'd be a bit before everyone woke up. First came the warriors, and later the rookies in training, who had to adjust to their new routine. Children always woke at dawn's crack. Roberto wondered how the newly arrived Rio family–two weeks in and counting–were adjusting to their new schedule.
The morning breeze was nice when present, as the council chambers occupied the highest tree in the heartland. Robert could faintly make out a few flying shapes.
A minuscule insect squished under Roberto's restless talons as Peri droned on about how to best allocate shifts for the youngling activity center. Although caretakers required rest, talking about it felt monotonous. That, and a waste of the council's time. Peri's permanently gold-painted face mask moved in tandem with his optimistically bright brown eyes.
Seriously, when doesn't he have his face painted? How does he find the time? And I thought our ceremonial decorations were intense as is.
He decided to shift his gaze to meet Eduardo. Momentarily, they met. As expected, the old bird, while supportive of Peri, was just as restless. They turned their attention back, whilst subtly stretching to keep active.
Thankfully, Peri finished his rant before Roberto flew over and strangled him. Wrapping up his points, he leaned toward them, expecting to glean critique of his ideas. As usual, Crestle quietly kicked him to speak first to Peri. The middle-aged macaw smirked from beside Roberto, always in Eduardo's highest favor, even to Roberto.
"Those are excellent proposals, as always, Peri," Roberto politely bequeathed. "As to best implement them…" The room fell silent for a split, and a thought sparked before eyes could fall. "However, perhaps these matters are best handled with help outside the council?"
Peri appeared a bit clueless, stroking his gold-stained face. "But isn't it our duty to manage the tribe's workings? I know I'm still a bit new here, but I don't quite understand."
"Each of us usually has a deputy to micromanage internal affairs," Roberto explained, playing safe to keep his groaning inside. "The last member with your position refused to have one, hampering business some mornings. I move that we permit Peri to appoint one himself."
It'll avoid waste, yet also give Peri something to do.
Eight ayes later, Eduardo's perhaps the quickest, and the meeting ended with a wiggling Peri who bounced out. Crestle smiled at Roberto before leaving.
Always making others do the work, somehow. Keeps me sharp, I suppose.
Roberto waved a "see you later" at Eduardo before dipping out and into the almost risen sun. Basking in the light rejuvenated his body. However, only a brief nap indeed truly recharged the mind. A brief stint later, he arrived at his temporary, or maybe permanent, hollow. It was hard to tell when his was occupied by a new family that may or may not live with the tribe.
Mentally shrugging, Roberto glided into his new accommodations. It'd take time to adjust to the new nest. At the least, crafting a new residency for himself satisfied his craft-work urges. Laying down, the meeting's weight caught up to him. Cozying up, he closed his eyes.
This ought to be a nice rest…
Only to hear an extremely loud grunt of frustration from nearby.
Andddddd there goes my nap. Gonna be a long day. Compared to Peri, I'll be a sloth.
Sighing, Roberto dredged himself away from comfort. A yawn erupted. With no nap, he felt half sour and contemplated it might define his day. He shifted his energy to focus on the disturbance outside. It had to be his nearby hollow, as the family were the only ones in his proximity. Not many resided here in the heartland. Though quiet and shaded, the company was sparse.
His limber wings unfolded and gripped both sides of the entrance. Leaning out, a dew drop landed on his dark gray beak. He licked it off and honed his hearing on the voices.
Another morning, another rough day for Jewel.
The Amazonian heat was stifling, hardened by lack of breeze. Yet the bickering felt hotter. The Gunderson parents were engaged in a soft kerfuffle, again. He shook his head with a chuckle.
We need a better family name for them than "Gunderson". Jewel, I suspect, isn't content with it, nor discontent. Not churring when Blu spoke was a challenge. Now I'm getting off flight…
To Roberto's expectation, they were loudly speaking about their children's future, their future. It twinged a bitterness in him, a guilty bitterness. Nigh every word Jewel spoke was true, no matter how much Blu chagrined. Yet Blu wasn't wrong either on some counts; they had only arrived a simple two weeks ago. Visiting your family for a vacation, then settling in as if suddenly home, was odd to various degrees.
Coming here, in a way, awakened Jewel. After three years in a pseudo-wild, her mind is truly free once more.
They were stark for a couple. She, a precious gem back from the void. The other one was, well, just strange. He and his human attachments. Though he could probably handle taking care of his family, Roberto liked to help them out. The kids liked him. He and Jewel had rekindled their friendship instantaneously. It was fulfilling. Blu felt out of sync, acted out of sync, and was out of sync with the tribe as a whole.
On some level, I do feel sorry for him. Destiny chose his path to be away from us, to be among humans.
The so-called fight between Blu and Jewel was mercifully mild and very civil. Given its potential for relational discord, whittling it to a philosophical debate was surprising. Neither would cave, both were right, and no conclusion was reachable through emotion. The intensity came not from the quiet outcome, but from the bittersweet residue left by the parties. Watching wasn't pleasant.
There was no simple resolution, nor ought he use, misuse, or abuse his position on the council to potentially interfere, influence, or intervene in what ultimately amounted to a private matter.
Jewel wanted to stay. Blu wanted to go. At this crossroad of revelations, the past called for relapse. Their past comforts were clashing with the present changes.
His own heartstrings tugged at this flight of thought. Roberto couldn't help glancing at Jewel sometimes. His past bubbled up. The tribe had lost her for so long…
Roberto, still tired, pondered, the couple's past few years seeming a disillusion. The moment the birds of Rio met, the tribe gnawed at him still. Accepting contentment was the surface feeling, but deeper within he knew the truth. Roberto stroked his long, tension-filled head feathers. He, too, felt that tug Blu and Jewel were struggling. Of pain and grief, of love lost and found.
"I will not let my jealousy seep", he silently promised to himself. "I shall respect them." It rang clear despite his exhaustion. "To be jealous is a form of care, in a twisted way."
How did they ever fall in love? How have they managed this hybrid lifestyle?
Roberto could only wonder.
Even after being told, it still is wild. Yet, such is the nature of the heart. If only, if only we hadn't lost one another…
It felt like a dream now. The loggers had cut in and through, smugglers in tow. The exhausted tribe had fled once more. They had taken her. By fate's cruel talons, only Jewel had been annihilated without a known end. Amidst and among them all–only her. Why, no one quite comprehended. He was the last one to see her. If only, if only he had escaped sooner…
He observed her dazzling eyes. His beak curled up a bit.
I grieved longer than her father. My heart still pangs, telling me she is dead, when she is now so close again.
Reality could be unreal. He watched the couple fly off in different directions. Blu scampered off to his mandatory jungle survival training with Eduardo. If he had to hazard a guess, Jewel had gone off to therapy with Aunt Mimi. Perhaps now he could take his nap.
Turning his tail back inside, hopefully, for the last time, Roberto quickly slumped into the shallow layer of mossy bedding that composed a portion of his nest. Facing away from the sunlight proved optimal for inducing slumber. Staring at dark bark somewhat simulated night.
And here my thoughts run amok before I sleep; ah, but of course.
Perhaps fate was testing them. It brought Jewel back. It must be a trial for the tribe to face once more. Hardships blazed on the horizon–with her beloved the designated baggage. After all, the humans drew closer and closer; with Blu here, they'd made themselves known. They were loggers, alright. Blu, the human-raised human magnet. Cruel, pure irony.
Jewel, contrarily, attuned to the Amazon. She represented the pinnacle of the Spix macaw species, to live wild and free. To be with humans and docile for so long must be downing.
To see Jewel happy makes me happy. It always has. Blu, however, has failed that lately. He had deduced as such from his two weeks of collective observation.
They found each other, and I am glad for them.
Roberto found his talons clutching the floor, slipping through a hole into the wood. A few small cracks sounded as he clenched down.
Jewel, from what he could tell, was in a state of general discontent. A long fall from her happiness of arrival. She flew with grace for her rage of turmoil. He knew they loved each other on their own merits. However, they now had a strained relationship. To know she was in strife–it discomforted him.
Roberto couldn't blame Blu for it, despite a part of him doing so. They had held strong together for three years. There were differences now–a family, an indeterminate and fearful future, and inevitable humans. Though, however, that last part was council-exclusive knowledge, currently,
Seeing Blu, and his human tendencies, generated unsavoriness for him. For Blu to be alive in the jungle was a miracle. Connections and leaps of logic fiddled with Roberto's sleepy mind. A well of negative emotion squeezed itself into his heart. He recalled how his grief for Jewel was the first such swell he ever felt.
A strength I use to fuel myself while being my greatest weakness.
Blu being Blue came to mind. Out to practice Eduardo's lessons. A week and a half with few, if any, results. I honestly cannot fathom how he fails even with tools. Or how he survives the tests. Such incompetence for a father.
Efficiency was key to the tribe's survival. Blu did not heed that principle.
I'll see how Tiago is holding up when I wake up. His lily surfing skills are growing wicked! Taking care of these scamps produced a warm feeling. They seemed to reciprocate.
It's… sad, yes, sad, that they feel better about themselves more around me than their father. Fate came to mind. Is it giving us, the tribe, me, if I dare, a second chance?
Jewel had come back. The loggers slowly approached. It was no coincidence. Humans following a human-loyal bird.
I will not let a second chance slip, the chance fate has kindly bestowed on the tribe.
He closed his eyes, finally bringing his stream of emotion and thoughts to a conclusion.
If Blu breaks her heart… I break him.